When planning my bikepacking trip to the Caucasus, I was thinking it would be fun to join a race on the way. Just because I like racing, the atmosphere that goes with it, the people you meet, the beautiful landscapes you discover.
So I looked at which race would fit my itinerary and dates and found the Human Fish gravel stage race, a 3-stages gravel event in the heart of the Julian Alps in Slovenia.
Obviously, I knew I couldn’t make it a serious race objective, at least not with the setup and mindset I had for this long trip. However, it was an experience I was willing to try.
At the beginning of the race, I seriously thought it was a stupid idea: what if I crash, this could potentially ruin my whole trip. But as one says, « life begins where fear ends ». And this is how I see my current adventure. Not taking unnecessary risks, but enjoying it to the fullest, trying to free the mind from fears and expectations.
It turned out to be one of the best highlights of my trip so far. The three stages feature breathtaking views in the heart of the Julian Alps on beautiful gravel roads. It was also a great opportunity to get to know the local community of gravel riders. In terms of how my body reacted, I sure was tired after the race, but I left with a lot of positive energy from the great experience and people I met. Would I do it again? Maybe with a more race-ready mindset. But be sure I will come again to Slovenia for cycling.
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